Wondering how to perfectly roast beets for meal prep or as a side dish? Here’s how to cook beets.
What are beets?
Beets, or Beetroot, are a root vegetable that are usually red but also come in a golden variety as well. As well as the beets themselves, the leaves of beets can also be eaten either raw or cooked.
Are Beets Healthy?
I would definitely consider beets to be a healthy vegetable to enjoy as despite being low in calories, they offer tons of nutrients. They are a great source of folate, magnesium, vitamin C, and fibre.
How to Pick Beets
Beets come in a couple different colours so you can take your pick there. Try to pick beets that are not bruised or have any major blemishes as well as being wrinkly. The wrinkly beets indicate that they’ve been around for a while and are dehydrated. When possible, try to pick the beets that still have the leafy greens attached to them and use them as an indicator of freshness (the greener, the better). Also, try to pick beets that are similar in size so they cook evenly.
Simple Oven Roasted Beets
Beets are one of my favourite ingredients to meal prep “buffet” style as they go with almost anything. You can toss them into a salad, eat it as its own “meal,” or blend it in a smoothie.
While I love using the Instant Pot to make beets, if I’m doing a meal prep session and the oven is already on and in use, I’ll just toss in some beets as well to roast alongside whatever’s in there (if there’s no room, they go into the Instant Pot!). It’s super easy and in my opinion, the best way to roast beets.
What You’ll Need To Roast Beets in the Oven
I roast beets two ways, depending on how much room in the oven I have or how many beets I’m roasting. The first method requires tin foil and a sheet pan, and the second method requires a Dutch oven.
Both methods require:
- beets
- olive oil
- salt
How To Roast Beets in the Oven (2 ways)
Method 1 — How to Roast Beets in Tin Foil:
- Heat oven to 400F.
- Wash the beets and trim off the leafy stems of the beets, leaving 1″ left on the root.
- Place 2-3 beets on a sheet of tin foil, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle salt on top. Repeat until you are out of beets.
- Place the tin-foiled wrapped beets on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes.
- To check if they’re done, open the tin foil pack, and prick with a fork. If it goes into the beets without resistance, they’re ready.
- Remove the beets, slice off the ends, peel, slice, and serve!
Method 2 — How to Roast Beets in a Dutch Oven:
- Heat the oven to 400F.
- Wash the beets and trim off the leafy stems of the beets, leaving 1″ left on the root.
- In a Dutch oven, add in the beets, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, place the lid on top, and roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes.
- To check if they’re done, open the tin foil pack, and prick with a fork. If it goes into the beets without resistance, they’re ready.
- Remove the beets, slice off the ends, peel, slice, and serve!
How to Easily Peel Oven Roasted Beets
- All I do after cutting off the ends of the beets is use a paper towel to gently “rub” the skin off from top to bottom. It should easily peel off.
- Also, be careful as the beets will be hot so let them cool off first if needed.
- To prevent staining while peeling and slicing the beets, I use disposable kitchen gloves that I got from Amazon and line my cutting board with a sheet of parchment paper.
How Do I Remove Beet Stains From My Hands?
While the stains will come off naturally after a couple of hand washes, you can try rubbing your fingers with baking soda.
How do I Remove Beet Stains from my Cutting Board?
Sprinkle some coarse salt on the cutting board and scrub with a bit of lemon juice. If you don’t have lemon on hand, keep in mind that the stain will wash off after a few washes.
How to Use Cooked Beets
Cooked beets can be used in many ways and can be added to smoothies, soups, salads, and side dishes, etc.
Here are some ways to enjoy them:
- Add it into hummus to make a beet hummus
- Blend a delicious beet smoothie for a delicious breakfast.
- Add the beets to your salads and grain bowls.
- Combine with burrata cheese and some flavoured oil (or pesto) to make a burrata salad.
- Add it to your meal prep.
- Make candied beets.
Can You Freeze Cooked Beets?
Yes. After slicing, freeze the cooked beets on a parchment lined baking tray in a single layer. Once frozen, add them into a freezer safe bag to keep for up to 6 months. This keeps them from freezing stuck together!
Simple Oven Roasted Beets
Instructions
Method 1
- Heat oven to 400F.
- Wash the beets and trim off the leafy stems of the beets, leaving 1″ left on the root.
- Place 2-3 beets on a sheet of tin foil, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle salt on top. Repeat until you are out of beets.
- Place the tin-foiled wrapped beets on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes.
- To check if they’re done, open the tin foil pack, and prick with a fork. If it goes into the beets without resistance, they’re ready.
- Remove the beets, slice off the ends, peel, slice, and serve!
Method 2
- Heat the oven to 400F.
- Wash the beets and trim off the leafy stems of the beets, leaving 1″ left on the root.
- In a Dutch oven, add in the beets, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, place the lid on top, and roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes.
- To check if they’re done, open the tin foil pack, and prick with a fork. If it goes into the beets without resistance, they’re ready.
- Remove the beets, slice off the ends, peel, slice, and serve!
Nutrition
MORE DINNER SIDES YOU MAY LIKE
- Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Sweet Potato, Bacon, and Almonds
- Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
- Peanut Thai Chili Brussels Sprouts
RESOURCES AND TIPS FOR MEAL PREPPING
- How To Cook Chicken Breasts Perfectly
- What Is An Instant Pot
- Tips To Help You Meal Prep For The Week Successfully
- Tips for Meal Prepping on a Budget
- 7 Freezer Friendly Chicken Marinades
- 5 Freezer Friendly Marinades
- Meal Prep Support Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mealprepsupport
Other places to connect with me
Instagram: @carmyshungry
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmyycom
Email: [email protected]
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